M.A. Analytical Political Economy (MAPE)

The Master of Arts in Analytical Political Economy (MAPE) degree is a joint master’s program of the Departments of Economics and Political Science, necessitated by a growing interest in political economy and political science among young economists. These fields are converging, and policy economics — particularly macroeconomic and international trade policy — increasingly includes a strong political component.

Political economy examines the reciprocal relationships between politics and markets, both within and among countries, using a variety of analytical tools, including those of economics. Its concerns include interactions among economic and political development; cooperation and conflict among nations, groups, and individuals; the distribution of material resources and political power; the effects of political actors and institutions on economic outcomes; the causes and consequences of technological and structural change, growth, and globalization; and regulation.

The MAPE program offers a quantitatively rigorous curriculum rooted in economic and political theory, application, and analysis. You have the opportunity to gain experience with economic and mathematical modeling along with a deep understanding of how and why policies are developed and implemented.

Students undertaking an MA in Political Economy can pursue a specialized field of study in applied development and program evaluation in conjunction with DevLab@Duke. The Lab is an applied learning environment that focuses on connecting social scientists at Duke who work in international development with the community of development practitioners to develop rigorous programming, collect monitoring and evaluation data, and conduct impact evaluations of development projects. The lab connects faculty and graduate students from several departments and schools at Duke who have extensive experience in both international development and program evaluation, including a broad range of donor activities in the areas of education, health, governance, cross-sectoral programming, environment, labor markets and economic growth.